String holding and tensioning device.



L. KLEIN.

STRING HOLDING AND TENSIONING DEVICE.

APPLICATION man wuwzs. 1911.

1,262,518. Patented Apr. 9,1918.

LIDU'S KLEIN, OF ZURICH,

SWITZERLAND.

STRING HOLDING AND TENSIONING DEVICE.

Application filed May 25, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L1DUs KLEIN, a subject of the Queen of Holland, residing at Zurich, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in String Holding and Tensioning Devices; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompam ing drawing, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention has reference to a novel and useful device for preparing, z", c. pro-stretching or pre-tuning, new strings for their ultimate use on the violin, cello, or other stringed instrument.

As is well known, the use or" freshly strung strings has the great disadvantage that the strings quickly drop in pitch after they have been brought up to the right key.

If a string snaps, the newly put on string must be repeatedly tuned until it finally attains the necessary state of permanence. Some artists hold a second tuned instrument in readiness against the embarrassment of having to replace a broken string and to tune the new string over and over until its tension finally remains stationary.

The object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary device to be used in connection with a stringed instrument, tor-preparing the strings for final use, which permits of broken string to be replaced by a new one which latter has been pretreated as to ten sion and which, when then tuned to the desired pitch, can be relied upon to hold the tone.

According to my invention the device comprises a board of approximately the length of the respective stringed instrument, two bridges spaced apart the same distance as are the points of support for the strings on the violin, or the like instrument, and means for tensioning the strings to the required pitch; these means being so disposed relative to the points of support (bridges) that the strings are. bent at about the same angle as they will be when in position on the instrument.

For correctly tuning the strings the board may preferably be in the form of a sounding board, so that the tone can be brought Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Serial No. 179,894.

out exactly as on the instrument for which the prestretched string is intended.

In order to make my invention more readily understood, 1 viii now describe it in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a plan view, and

Fig. 2 a longitudinal section on line I-I of Fig. 1, of my string-stretching device.

The board 1, preferably in the form of a hollow sounding board, supports at one extremity a tail member 2 in which a plurality of slits 3 are provided of a width to prevent a knot 5 in the string a from slipping through. in the other board extremity, the head piece 6, are operatively secured a number of tuning pins or pegs 7, each with a transverse perforation for receiving the respective string end, as well known in the art. Intermediate these points of support, the member 2 and the pins 7 are arranged on the board the stationary cross-members or bridges S and 9. These two bridges are spaced apart the same distance as are the two points of support on the sounding board of the stringed instrument on which the strings are eventually to be mounted. These bridges are of such height, that the points of support of the strings are raised above the points of seizure 2 and 7 to such an extent that the strings are bent at approximately the same angle as they Will be when in position on the stringed instrument. in place of the slit cross-member 2 adjustable securing means could be provided, one

for each string.

in use of the described auxiliary device the strings are attached to the points of seizure 2 and 7 and are tuned to the tone of the strings on the violin, or like instrument, which they are eventually to replace. Repeated atter-tensioning and tuning will finally prepare the strings for the intended purposes. It now a broken instrument string is replaced by such a pre-treated or tensioned string, this latter, after then having been tuned up to the proper pitch, is apt to properly hold its tone, without repeated aftertuning.

Upon the same board strings of different thicknesses can be treated; for instance several I'D-strings and several A-strings can readily be stretched and tuned.

The device can be used for the treatment of strings for all kinds of stringed instruments, such as for instance violins, bassviolins (cello), zithers, and others.

hat I claim is:

1. A mechanical string holder, not adapted and not intended for playing music, for tensioning and holding musical strings ten sioned to the required extent to produce the required tone when removed from the holder and secured to the musical instrument to be played, which consists of a board, bridges on said board serving as points of support for the strings being tensioned, and rigid means at one extremity of said board for holding one end of the strings, and adjust able means at the other end of said board for placing the strings under tension, said bridges being spaced apart the same distance as the points of support for the strings on the stringed instrument for which the pre-tensioned strings are intended, said two means being so located relatively to said bridges that the strings under tension are bent at approximately the same angle as they will be in ultimate use, on the stringed instrument for which they are intended.

2. A mechanical String holder, not adapted and not intended for playing music, for tensioning and holding musical strings tensioned to the required extent to produce the required tone when removed from the holder and secured to the musical instrument to be played; which consists of a resonant body for supporting the string being tensioned, independent, non-yielding means rigidly secured at one end of said body for holding one end of the strings, and adjustable tensioning means at the other end of said body for placing the strings under tenslon, said bridges being spaced apart the same distance as are the points of support for the strings on the stringed instrument for which the pre-tensioned strings are intended, said two means so located with respect to said bridges as to maintain the strings substantially parallel and bent at approximately the same angle as they will be in ultimate use 011 the stringed instrument for which they are intended.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

LIDUS KLEIN.

copies oi this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent Washington, D. C. 

